Wooden brick

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a laminate wooden brick and a method for making it. The brick is formed as a lamination of boards that have been staggered in a predetermined manner. Each brick has complemental couplings on its edges and ends to securely engage adjacent bricks; however, these couplings are not machined into the bricks, but are instead the result of staggering the constituent boards in the predetermined manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/448,455 filed on Feb. 21, 2003, entitled “WOODEN BRICK”, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to methods and materials for constructing building structures, and more particularly, to ways of using lower-grade timber to efficiently construct sound and attractive structures.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Lumber is a popular and effective building material; however, it does have a number of shortcomings. Perhaps most significant among these shortcomings, lumber is becoming increasingly difficult to find in long, straight, unblemished pieces. And even when such pieces of lumber are available, they have generally become far too expensive to use as mere building materials, for example as framing members.

[0006] This scarcity has provided an opportunity to rethink the methods and materials we use to construct building structures. There is in effect a hunt to find new ways to use old materials and to find new materials to use in the old ways. The first kind of innovation has included salvaging wood-scrap to created oriented strand board (“OSB”) and glued laminated timber (“glulam”). The second kind of innovation has included casting aluminum into framing members, such as studs and joists. The best of such innovations yield laborsaving methods to produce attractive and sound structures from scrap materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention is directed to a way of using lower-grade timber to efficiently construct sound and attractive structures.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of first staggering a number of boards together, such that the boards' respective adjacent faces abut and at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling, and then fixing together the boards so staggered into a brick. The predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling might be symmetric and fixing might be accomplished using chemical bonding.

[0009] The method also might include cutting the boards to the same nominal dimensions before staggering them and aligning in a common plane the respective edges of a selected group of boards.

[0010] The method might also include creating a raceway for utilities to pass through the brick, for example electrical cabling. The raceway might be cut through the brick or might be formed as a gap that passes through the brick between two separated portions of a board. Additionally, a raceway could be created by cutting one of the boards to a smaller nominal dimension than the other boards.

[0011] Finally, the method might also include fabricating a predetermined cross-coupling into the brick.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus having a number of boards staggered together, such that the boards' respective adjacent faces abut and at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling, and a way to fix the plurality of boards together so staggered into a brick. The predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling might be symmetric and the boards might be fixed with a chemical bonding agent.

[0013] The boards might be cut to the same nominal dimensions before staggering and one group of the boards might be staggered such that those boards' respective edges are aligned within a common plane.

[0014] The apparatus might also include a raceway through the brick to pass utilities, for example pipes carrying water or heating fuel. The raceway might follow a gap that passes through the brick between two separated portions of a board. Additionally, if one board in the brick had a smaller nominal dimension than other boards, the raceway could follow the smaller board substantially perpendicular to its smaller nominal dimension.

[0015] Finally, the apparatus might include a cross-coupling on at least one of a face and an edge of the brick. This cross-coupling might be proximate one end of the brick.

[0016] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following drawings, description, and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The invention will be more fully illustrated by the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label or a third label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is identified in a particular passage of the detailed description, then that passage describes any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label or third reference label.

1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a wooden brick according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the brick of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the brick of FIG. 1.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a right-side elevational view of the brick of FIG. 1.

[0022]FIG. 5 is an isometric view detailing one of the pieces of lumber in the brick of FIG. 1.

[0023]FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the brick of FIG. 1, emphasizing the relative position of the pieces of lumber.

[0024]FIG. 7 is an exploded plan view of the brick of FIG. 1, emphasizing the relative position of the pieces of lumber.

[0025]FIG. 8 is an exploded front elevational view of the brick of FIG. 1, emphasizing the relative position of the pieces of lumber.

[0026]FIG. 9 is an exploded right elevational view of the brick of FIG. 1, emphasizing the relative position of the pieces of lumber.

[0027]FIG. 10 is a pictorial view of a wooden brick according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0028]FIG. 11 is a plan view of the brick of FIG. 10.

[0029]FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the brick of FIG. 10

[0030]FIG. 13 is a right-side elevational hidden-line view of the brick of FIG. 10.

[0031]FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a wooden brick according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0032]FIG. 15 is a plan view of the brick of FIG. 14.

[0033]FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the brick of FIG. 14.

[0034]FIG. 17 is a right-side elevational view of the brick of FIG. 14.

[0035]FIG. 18 is an isometric detail view of an end portion of the wooden brick of FIG. 14.

[0036]FIG. 19 is an exploded isometric view of a wall system constructed from wooden bricks according to the first, second, and third embodiments of the invention.

[0037]FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the wall system of FIG. 19.

2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0038] (a) Structure

[0039] The structure of the invention will now be illustrated by way of specific exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing figures and described in greater detail herein.

[0040]FIGS. 1 through 4 show a wooden brick according to a first embodiment of the present invention, generally illustrated at 10 a. The brick 10 a has a top brick-edge 12 a-T, a bottom brick-edge 12 a-B, a right brick-face 14 a-R, a left brick-face 14 a-L, a front brick-end 16 a-F, and an aft brick-end 16 a-A.

[0041] Each of the brick-edges 12 a and brick-ends 16 a is characterized by a tongue-and-groove coupling 18 a. The top brick-edge 12 a-T has a top coupling 18 a-T and the bottom brick-edge 12 a-B has a complemental bottom coupling 18 a-B. Similarly, the front brick-end 16 a-F has a front coupling 18 a-F and the aft brick-end 16 a-A has a complemental aft coupling 18 a-A. The brick-faces 14 a are sufficiently finished to form interior paneling or exterior siding.

[0042] With reference now to FIGS. 5 through 9, it can bee seen that the brick 10 a is a laminate structure formed from a number of staggered boards 20 a of similar shape and size. In this embodiment, the brick 10 a is formed from five boards 20 a, each board 20 a being nominally a three-foot long two-by-six. Nevertheless, the size of the boards 20 a can be selected to suit the timber available and the application specified. For example, if the timber available is of such low grade that it can't yield enough good quality three-foot two-by-sixes for the application, then it might be possible to optimize the timber available by cutting it into a larger number of good quality smaller boards 20 a (i.e. cutting out the bad portions without scraping good quality but shorter lumber) to form more, but smaller, bricks 10 a.

[0043] As best seen in FIG. 5, a typical such board 20 a has a top board-edge 22 a-T, a bottom board-edge 22 a-B, a right board-face 24 a-R, a left board-face 24 a-L, a front board-end 26 a-F, and an aft board-end 26 a-A.

[0044] As best seen in FIGS. 6 through 9, the boards 20 a are grouped into a set of two even-boards 20 a-E and a set of three odd-boards 20 a-O. The odd-boards 20 a-O are disposed with respect to each other such that their board-ends 26 a-O and their board-edges 22 a-O are aligned in respective common planes and their board-faces 24 a-O are parallel. The even-boards 20 a-E are disposed with respect to each other such that their board-ends 26 a-E and their board-edges 22 a-E are aligned in respective common planes and their board-faces 24 a-E are parallel. The odd-boards 20 a-O as a set and the even-boards 20 a-E as a set are disposed with respect to each other such that their respective board-ends 26 a-O, 26 a-E and board-edges 22 a-O, 22 a-E are staggered but their board-faces 24 a are parallel. In this manner, the staggered boards 20 a are disposed to form a brick 10 a having tongue-and-groove couplings 18 a at its top brick-edge 12 a-T, bottom brick-edge 12 a-B, front brick-end 16 a-F, and aft brick-end 16 a-A.

[0045] So disposed with respect to each other, the odd-boards 20 a-O and the even-boards 20 a-E are affixed together board-face 24 a-O to board-face 24 a-E. The boards 20 a may be affixed in any suitably robust manner, for example by chemical bond agent, mechanical fastener, or integral joint; however, in this embodiment the adjacent board-faces 24 a are coated with adhesive and adjacent boards 20 a are pressed together and clamped in place to form the brick 10 a.

[0046] With reference now to FIGS. 10 through 13, a wooden brick according to a second embodiment of the present invention is generally illustrated at 10 b. The second-embodiment brick 10 b is in most respects identical to the first-embodiment brick 10 a, except as detailed below.

[0047] The second-embodiment brick 10 b is specially adapted to provide a vertical raceway 28 and a horizontal raceway 30 through which utilities, for example electrical cabling, can pass through the brick 10 b. This adaptation is accomplished through the use of a specially configured center board 20 b-C disposed in a middle position among the number of boards 20 b that comprise the brick 10 b.

[0048] As best seen in FIG. 11, a vertical raceway 28 passes through the center board 20 b-C proximate its midpoint. The vertical raceway 28 may be formed as a hole bored through the center board 20 b-C or else may result from assembling the center board 20 b-C from a front center board portion 20 b-C-F and a spaced apart but collinear aft center board portion 20 b-C-A that define the vertical raceway 28 between them.

[0049] Also as best seen in FIG. 11, the center board 20 b-C is shorter than other boards 20 b that comprise the brick 10 b, and thus in this embodiment, yields both a front vertical gap 32-F in the front coupling 18 b-F and an aft vertical gap 32-A in the aft coupling 18 b-A. As best seen in FIG. 20, when two such bricks 10 b are placed end-to-end such that their respective front coupling 18 b-F and aft coupling 18 b-A engage, their respective front vertical gap 32-F and aft vertical gap 32-A together form a vertical raceway 28.

[0050] As best seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, the center board 20 b-C is also shallower than other boards 20 b that comprise the brick 10 b, and thus in this embodiment, yields both a top horizontal gap 34-T in the top coupling 18 b-T and a bottom horizontal gap 34-B in the bottom coupling 18 b-B. As best seen in FIG. 20, when two such bricks 10 b are placed one upon the other such that their respective top coupling 18 b-T and bottom coupling 18 b-B engage, their respective top horizontal gap 34-T and bottom horizontal gap 34-B together form a horizontal raceway 30.

[0051] With reference now to FIGS. 14 through 18, a wooden brick according to a third embodiment of the present invention is generally illustrated at 10 c. The third-embodiment brick 10 c is in most respects identical to the first-embodiment brick 10 a, except as detailed below.

[0052] The third-embodiment brick 10 c is specially adapted to provide a corner-joint for bricks 10 to meet at a predetermined intersection angle, in this embodiment ninety degrees. This adaptation is accomplished by both cutting an edge cross-coupling 36, which is complemental with the bottom coupling 18-B of other bricks 10, into the top coupling 18 c-T at either one of the brick-ends 16 c and cutting a face cross-coupling 38, which is complemental with either the front coupling 18-F or the aft coupling 18-A of other bricks 10, into one of the brick-faces 14 c at the same one of the brick-ends 16 c.

[0053] It will be appreciated that equivalent benefits could be achieved by instead cutting an edge cross-coupling (not shown), which is complemental with the top coupling 18-T of other bricks 10, into the bottom coupling 18 c-B at either one of the brick-ends 16 c.

[0054] It will also be appreciated that, although the cross-couplings 36, 38 are illustrated as being proximate a brick-end 16 c, they cross-couplings 36, 38 might also be located elsewhere along the length of the brick 10 c, for example proximate the midpoint.

[0055] The fit between adjacent bricks 10, and in particular between adjacent couplings 18 and between adjacent couplings 18 and cross-couplings 36, 38, is best seen in FIGS. 19 and 20.

[0056] The third-embodiment brick 10 c also includes an endcap 40 adapted to fit between the peripheral boards 20 c-P of the boards 20 c that comprise the brick 10 c.

[0057] With reference now to FIGS. 19 and 20, bricks 10 are shown assembled into a wall system 42 that includes a corner-joint 44. The wall system 42 is formed from both whole-length bricks 10-W and half-length bricks 10-H and also third-embodiment bricks 10 c to implement the corner-joint 44. It will be noted that some of the boards 20 have been chamfered such that the complemental couplings 18 may be fit together more easily.

[0058] (b) Operation

[0059] With reference first to FIGS. 1 through 9, the operation of these specific embodiments of the invention will now be described.

[0060] A collection of bricks 10 can be formed to meet arbitrary dimensional requirements. In practice, these dimensions will most commonly be dictated by the purpose for which the bricks 10 are to be used or by the grade of timber available to make the boards 20 that comprise the bricks 10. As a piece of lumber increases in volume, there is a higher likelihood that the timber from which it will be cut will contain a defect somewhere in that volume. Therefore, if only low-grade timber is available to make the boards 20, more of the timber can be used to make boards 20 if the boards 20 are shorter, because defects can be cut out without having to scrap shorter pieces of good timber. It has been found that a good general dimension for the boards 20 is nominally two inches by six inches by three feet.

[0061] As best seen in FIGS. 5 through 9, the timber is sawn into boards 20 having these nominal dimensions and the boards 20 are dressed such that the board-edges 22, the board-faces 24, and the board-ends 26 are respectively substantially parallel. The board-faces 24 may be further dressed to provide a functional or attractive surface for an interior or exterior wall. Additionally, it may be desirable that the boards 20, or at least some of them or some portion of them, be chamfered, as best seen in FIGS. 19 and 20.

[0062] As best seen in FIGS. 1 through 4, a number of boards 20 are assembled together board-face 24 to board-face 24, their board-edges 22 staggered to form a top coupling 18-T and a complemental bottom coupling 18-B and their board-ends 26 staggered to form a front coupling 18-F and a complemental aft coupling 18-A. In this embodiment, the boards 20 are staggered symmetrically as two groups, the odd-boards 20-0 and the even-boards 20-E, and the three axes for all of the boards 20 are respectively parallel; however, those skilled in the art will observe that other staggering patterns will also yield beneficial results—the key being that the staggering produce sound complemental couplings 18 such that various bricks 10 may be soundly coupled together. In this regard, it is convenient to manufacture and assemble blocks having identical couplings 18; however, this uniformity is not necessary.

[0063] The boards 20 being so assembled, an adhesive chemical bonding agent is applied to their board-faces 24 and the boards 20 are clamped together until they bond into laminate bricks 10.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will observe that, conveniently, the complemental couplings 18 can be formed merely through staggering the boards 20 and laminating them together into bricks 10. In particular, it is not necessary to mill the couplings 18 into the bricks 10.

[0065] With reference now to FIGS. 10 through 13, it can be seen that the special configuration of a center board 20 b-C produces vertical raceways 28 and horizontal raceways 30. To produce these benefits most conveniently, before the boards 20 are assembled and laminated together, the center board 20 b-C is sawn shorter and shallower than the other boards 20 and a vertical raceway 28 is created proximate its midpoint, either by a boring or cutting operation or by sawing the center board 20 b-C into a front center board portion 20 b-C-F and an aft center board portion 20 b-C-A with a gap left between them during assembly for the vertical raceway 28. During assembly, the center board 20 b-C is disposed with respect to the other boards 20 to produce a front vertical gap 32-F and an aft vertical gap 32-A and to produce a top horizontal gap 34-T and a bottom horizontal gap 34-B.

[0066] With reference now to FIGS. 14 through 18, it can be seen that the cross-couplings 36, 38 are well suited for manufacturing through a series of cutting operations, for example milling, routing, or dadoing.

[0067] With reference now to FIGS. 19 and 20, it can be seen that a wall system 42 can be conveniently assembled simply by stacking whole-length bricks 10-W and half-length bricks 10-H together. The half-length bricks 10-H are useful because, as with masonry bricks, it is desirable to stack these wooden bricks 10 such that the junctions between the bricks 10 on one level align vertically with the approximate midpoint of the bricks 10 on the adjacent levels.

[0068] Adjacent bricks 10 are held together by weight and their respective complemental couplings 18: front couplings 18-F mating with aft couplings 18-A and top couplings 18-T mating with bottom couplings 18-B, any vertical gaps 32 or horizontal gaps 34 between them respectively forming vertical raceways 28 and horizontal raceways 30.

[0069] The corner-joint 44 in the wall system 42 is formed by using third-embodiment bricks 10 c, which have cross-couplings 36, 38 adapted to engage the couplings 18 of adjacent bricks 10 at a predetermined angle, in this embodiment ninety degrees. It will be noted that the face cross-coupling 38 can be located on either the right brick-face 14 c-R or the left brick-face 14 c-L, and that in this embodiment it alternates with the brick 10 level in the wall system 42 to produce a stronger corner-joint 44.

[0070] Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing embodiments and examples that there has been described a way to make laminate wooden bricks 10. Each brick 10 is formed as a lamination of boards 20 that have been staggered in a predetermined manner. Each brick 10 has complemental couplings 18 on its edges 12 and ends 16 to securely engage adjacent bricks 10; however, these couplings 18 need not be machined into the bricks 10, but instead can result from staggering the constituent boards 20 in the predetermined manner.

[0071] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications and substitutions can be made to the foregoing embodiments without departing from the principle and scope of the invention expressed in the claims made herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: a) staggering a plurality of boards together, such that: (i) the boards' respective adjacent faces abut, and (ii) at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling, and b) fixing together the boards so staggered into a brick.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein staggering comprises: staggering a plurality of boards together, such that at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a symmetrical predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein fixing comprises: chemically bonding.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: cutting the boards to the same nominal dimensions before staggering them.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein staggering comprises: (i) selecting a group of the boards, and (ii) aligning in a common plane the respective edges of the boards in the group.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: creating a raceway through the brick.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein creating a raceway comprises: cutting a raceway through the brick.
 8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein creating a raceway comprises: dividing one board into two portions separated by a gap that passes through the brick.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein creating a raceway comprises: cutting one of the boards to a smaller nominal dimension than other boards.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: fabricating a predetermined cross-coupling on the brick.
 11. An apparatus, comprising: (a) a plurality of boards staggered together, such that: (i) the boards' respective adjacent faces abut, and (ii) at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling, and (b) means for fixing the plurality of boards together so staggered into a brick.
 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the plurality of boards are staggered together such that at least one of the boards' respective edges and the boards' respective ends collectively form a symmetrical predetermined tongue-and-groove coupling.
 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for fixing comprises: a chemical bonding agent.
 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the boards have been cut before staggering to the same nominal dimensions.
 15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein: one group of the boards has been staggered such that those boards' respective edges are aligned within a common plane.
 16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a raceway through the brick.
 17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein: a) one board is divided into two portions that between them define a gap that passes through the brick, and b) the raceway follows the gap.
 18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein: a) one board has a smaller nominal dimension than other boards, and b) the raceway follows the smaller board substantially perpendicular to its smaller nominal dimension.
 19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a cross-coupling on at least one of a face and an edge of the brick.
 20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein: the cross-coupling is proximate one end of the brick. 